Articles posted in March 2011

I first heard the Albertans because they used to practice in BeatRoute‘s office. It turns out that the magazine wasn’t the only good thing coming out of that room. As I previously wrote for Exclaim!, the band has a new album, New Age, which came out this month.

The titular image of “Clutching Stems” by the Ladybug Transistor perfectly encapsulates everything that’s good about indie pop. It’s sweet and dorky with a faint undercurrent of sadness and an implication of melancholy. Also, my last name is in the lyrics (see the title of this post), and singer Gary Olson sounds a bit like Lou Reed when he sings it. Rad.

This is set to an upbeat groove that mixes atmospheric keyboards with folksy strumming, faux-Brill Building synth strings and gorgeous pop melodies.

Clutching Stems is also the name of Ladybug Transistor’s upcoming album. Go to Exclaim! for the scoop.

On the about page of Digits‘ website, project mastermind Alt Altman writes, “I think file-sharing is awesome and nobody should feel bad about doing it.”

This Toronto songwriter puts his music where his mouth is, since this track is available as a stream as well as a free download. It’s a mellow synthpop tune called “Rachel Marie,” which sounds a bit like a chilled-out “Billie Jean.”

If you dig, Altman is offering up a bunch of tracks for free over at Soundcloud.

If I talk about how much I’m digging Panda Bear‘s Tomboy, I feel like I’m bragging, since the album hasn’t leaked yet. But seriously, it’s really good. I recently interviewed Mr. Bear for Color, so that will be published next month.

Here’s the new track “The Preakness.” This comes from a mixtape that Animal Collective made for the shoe company Keep. I don’t really need to describe why this one is a must-hear, do I?

I wrote about the Animal Collective-designed shoes for Exclaim! a while back.

Covering the Smiths‘ “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” takes some guts. After all, it’s generally accepted as one of the Smiths’ finest moments, as well as one of the best indie pop songs of all time.

Dum Dum Girls manage to pull it offer because they put a new spin on the old favourite. Unlike the mid-tempo melodrama of the original, this cover bristles with distortion and goth-y, understated vocals. Bravo, Dee Dee.

When I made my post earlier today, it occurred to me that I never wrote about the recent Tennis single. It’s called “Take Me Somewhere,” and it begins as a peaceful waltz before busting into a bouncy pop rocker halfway through. Okay, so it’s not as gripping as some of the band’s work, but it’s another good cut off of Cape Dory, which is an altogether pleasant album.

Cults just dropped the first single from their upcoming debut LP. It’s a pretty, ’50s-infused waltz, but I can’t help but think that it sounds a lot more like Tennis than a genuine artifact of the Eisenhower era.

It’s atmospheric and cute, and it rocks out nicely at the 47-second mark, but it doesn’t quite live up to the brilliance of the band’s earlysingles.

Make your way to Exclaim! to read my preview of the band’s forthcoming album (and here for the tour announcement).

Tennessee is a long way from England, both culturally and geographically, but there’s no mistaking the British influence in And the Relatives‘ “Hammer Down.” It’s got brittle guitar strums, a fuzzy bassline and some distinctly English-sounding vocal inflections. There’s also an absolutely fantastic instrumental break, punctuated by a jagged guitar solo and some 8-bit-sounding keyboard leads. Nashville has never sounded quite so much like Manchester.

You can stream all of the band’s recent album, Green Machinery, over at Soundcloud. “Hammer Down” is below.

I recently received a copy of Freedom or Death‘s debut EP, Ego, in the mail. It included a hand-written note from singer Sway, responding to one of my recent articles (this one, if you’re curious). Of the scores of albums I’ve been sent in the last couple years, I think this is the first one to ever include a note like that. This band knows how to stand out from the crowd.

Here’s a song from the EP, the smoldering “This Crowded Room.” It’s a slow-burning electro pop tune, with swirling synths joined by gorgeous R&B harmonies.